stepping stones

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Life’s paths are strewn with numerous types of stones. Whether we use them as stepping stones is what matters.

Grazia Butterflies (with pattern) from Endrucks' #16

Pina Pinto stepped up thrice, choosing 4 patterns and then a 5th when one of our volunteers opted out, tatting with speed, enthusiasm and sending in-progress pictures. Oh yes, we can safely say that she became addicted, working not just the samplers but also derivatives and adaptations!

Ninetta and I stepped in to handle the presentations, which Pina was not equipped for. Not an easy task, I tell you. When you are doing it from scratch, you can decide where and when and how each step or section would be. Having to work with and work around another tatter's pics and visualization can be an onerous task as both Nin and I can attest. Especially considering some of these elaborate patterns are not easy to portray.

In the end each of the 5 patterns turned into a triumvirate of collaborative effort!

We thanked Pina for her first 3 reworkings of patterns 9, 15, & 16 here - https://ninettacaruso.blogspot.com/2021/03/crab-or-candle-holder.html . Since then, she adapted n.9 into a pendant and beaded her blue earrings from a motif extracted from n.16.

  

But the clincher is this gorgeous 3D butterfly she named after her mother, Grazia, also extracted from n.16. Ninetta has done a wonderful job in presenting the butterfly pattern despite the many travails and tribulations. I hope that effort bears fruit when we see colourful Grazia butterflies taking flight from shuttles around the globe.

After quickly completing her first 2 selections, Pina was thirsty for more! She encountered some trouble understanding pattern #17. It has been a revelation that despite the diagrams and textual pattern, many tatters have been looking at Endrucks’ tatted model and counting off the stitches. I drew the entire pattern by hand, taking and sending her stepwise pics. She sent back progress and final sampler pics.

Pina worked it as a bilaterally symmetrical model which entailed block below tatting (BBT) where the blocks are worked in opposite direction (below previous chains) requiring picots on the core thread. For a visual comparison, see https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2021/07/a-pernickety-question.html.

Both options are included in the pattern pdf.

Endrucks n.17 - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sStHg5IQmuwizC7QcKRaX951CvVoURbn/view (with cornered frame pattern included)

It has taken me close to a year after multiple interruptions (life’s stones!), frustration and apologies to complete the pdf to our satisfaction, doctoring a few of Pina’s pics to fit seamlessly. I also had to resort to tatting a sampler myself in order to get everything straight. Happily, this led to many lovely derivations – the earrings, edging, snowflake, cornered frame (pattern included in this pdf). [There will be a separate post on some surprising design possibilities of n.17. Derivative patterns from n.17 shared or in the works - earrings ; edging/insertion/bookmark ; snowflake].

This is what my partner, Ninetta says -

The patterns Pina chose, especially the n.17, still intimidates me, Muskaan wrote "these patterns are elaborate", I think elaborate is an euphemism.

In previous pattern 9, 15 and 16, Pina used the BBT and at the time of my post (13 March) we hadn't "coined" the acronym yet (and I think that in 15 I even didn't notice it, but it's there, in Pina's sample). She has been particularly accurate in tatting these patterns using strict symmetry, even if in the original models there is only BT in the traditional way. The "strict Eleonore" has been beaten in strictness! LOL!

 

Grazia Butterfly (n.16) - https://drive.google.com/file/d/10mqdUjIcdRADIuGt5il0C2PUvGn0HthK/view

Then, in the butterfly "Grazia", she showed off all her skill in that BBT technique. I had trouble and definitely I don't like tatting BBT, but in all honesty I had to prepare the document respecting Pina's design. It took me many errors and trials before I got acceptable stepwise pics... but I hadn't finished yet, because the instructions were cumbersome and I didn't know how to write them. Luckily, Muskaan stepped in to rescue me, in two ways: one directly, correcting my mistakes in more than one draft I sent her, and the second indirectly, with her blog post "a pernickety question". Just after I'd finished reading your post, dear Muskaan, I started calling it BBT!

  

Endrucks n.20 - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BF_4mbN8xDAhBb3lTyVBd3plPcEhUGDZ/view (with 2 corners, colour alternatives, etc.)with 2 corners, colour alternatives, etc.)

And then the n.20 arrived... I got only the bracelet pictures from Pina and had to prepare the document. I needed to understand the pattern, first of all. But, as soon as I tatted the first chain, I saw possible variations in the pattern! That's how the yellow and green insertion started. I really fell in love with the n.20 and visualised very many different adaptations and derivative models and I felt despair that I had not the time to tat them all! (ah, Nin, you echo my thoughts!)

  

Two corners later, I had the Purple Dandelion Garland and a document of more than 20 pages!!! My dearest friend Muskaan helped to rationalise, shorten, clean up, improve... her contribution to the n.20 doc was decisive. And finally pages went down from 20 to 10, yet respecting all versions and variations and Pina's too! Phew!

The basic pattern is fairly simple and fits in one page. But including off-shoot patterns and options takes up pages but we have more goodies to play with! And perhaps more rounds in the garland, too!

Pina has been a reliable and gracious contributor despite our mutual linguistic limitations. She has now shown interest in learning how to present pdfs! This is her level of enthusiasm, commitment and passion for our favourite lace form! We thank you once again, dear Pina, for making our life temporarily frustrating but eternally happy and hope to see many more adaptations from you over time.

Pina shares a bit about her tatting journey -

Qualche tempo fa, ho dovuto allontanarmi da casa per lavoro. La mia amica e vicina di casa, Giulia, mi consigliò di imparare il chiacchierino, mi diceva: "La mente e le mani devono essere sempre impegnate!" Così ho iniziato e in breve tempo mi sono appassionata. I miei preferiti sono i gioielli e i fiocchi di neve, per farli rubo ogni minuto libero dalle faccende e dal lavoro! Sono entusiasta del chiacchierino e sono in continua ricerca per imparare tecniche nuove.

Some time ago, I had to leave home for work. My friend and neighbor, Giulia, advised me to learn to tat, she told me: "Your mind and your hands must always be busy!" So I started and in a short time I got hooked. My favorites are jewels and snowflakes, to make them I steal every minute free from chores and work! I am enthusiastic about tatting and am constantly looking to learn new techniques. (Google translated)

Look closely – she has inserted an earring hook! She even sent me a beautiful photo of herself wearing another pair of tatted earrings, just as she said above. Because of this old book I have made yet another new friend!

Through the lens of our shared passion, we often don’t see (and show) the underlying stones life throws at each of us. This collaboration embodies that spirit of stepping around stones or using them to fly to our happy destination.

With love and gratitude 
muskaan and Ninetta

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Endrucks 1920 Project is a community project, we welcome every one of you to join in! Please let us know where we can find your renditions and derivative tatting!
We created the hashtag #Endrucks1920Project, so please use it!
We all enjoy sharing and the project is awaiting every one of you!
All info and links (original and modern) are in the Endrucks 1920 Project Document, here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17LEVftXweztBIOWh4sL4BB7bX65ssoOsOn4oXIgCepY/view
Remember there are many more modernised patterns, derived and extracted patterns/ideas, already listed in the project document, with still more to come! So, do visit and scroll through.

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